Laila Kearney, Reuters

A man swept out to sea by seven-foot waves during an oceanside baptismal ceremony in California on Sunday remained missing a day later as hopes faded he would be found alive, officials said on Monday.

U.S. Coast Guard spokesman Adam Stanton said three men were initially washed away by the surf while performing the religious ceremony, held on the shore of the Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve in the small Santa Barbara County city of Guadalupe.

Two of the men were able swim back to shore without injuries, but the third man, whom authorities have not named, was still lost on Monday afternoon, according to a statement by the Santa Barbara Fire Department.

The missing man had been helping to perform a baptism in association with the Jesus Christ Light of the Sky church, which holds similar events two or three times a year, according to local newspaper the Santa Maria Times.